On Sunday, I had an experience of 'Yeovil Town football' that I've not had before. The chance of Yeovil Town Ladies gaining promotion to FAWSL1 happily coincided with them playing at The Hive Stadium, home of London Bees (the female arm of the Barnet FC, which had given me a short five mile journey on the day - the first time I've seen the Ladies side of the club in 'real life' action.

This meant that I timed my entrance pretty well - one game, one win, one promotion - can we do this every week? I suppose this fits me into the category of being a 'gloryhunter', but everyone has to start somewhere! Certainly my first impressions were good - there was an obvious spirit to the way the Ladies team played, and whilst I doubt that they normally get in excess of 100 travelling fans, it was a great atmosphere to be in. Although there was no formal segregation for the match at the Hive, it seemed the Yeovil fans ended up on the left side of the stand, whilst all the Bees fans headed to the right side, meaning that any attempts to build up an atmosphere in our area of seating got a good response.

The game was inevitably nervy. I've seen enough of Yeovil Town men's team games to know that often promotion deciders are not 90 minute classics. Because the stakes are raised higher in such games, until that goal goes in (hopefully in your favour!) players sometimes become too anxious end so passes become snatched, and mistakes are made. Those that recall the men's team 2004-05 trip to Southend United at Roots Hall, or earlier matches in that season when we travelled to Kidderminster Harriers, will vouch for the fact that the early play is very attritional, with the opposition trying to spoil the party.

Once we got beyond the half time break, and in particular once the first goal was scored, 56 minutes into the match, I thought Yeovil Town Ladies largely controlled the match. Ironically the one bit of second half nerves at the back triggered the breakaway goal that got them their second of the day - an absolute textbook script for a 'promotion decider' game. It could have easily been 1-1 if the Glovers had not hacked the ball off the line, but less than a minute later it was 2-0 with Nadia Lawrence chipping the ball home. A hundred people from Somerset (mostly) sat back and relaxed for the first time in 81 minutes.

The dizzy aspect to consider on the back of Sunday's 2-0 win is that Yeovil Town Ladies will go into 2017 as one of England's Top Ten female footballing sides. Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea all will now visit Huish Park, which is going to feel a bit surreal when you consider how cash-rich those clubs are from the men's side of the game, with clubs at that level receiving funding that drip-feeds in from their Premier League-funded bank accounts. As far as I know, Yeovil Town Ladies receive no income from the men's football club, meaning that whatever income they have needs to be brought in from other sources.

As part of their development of the Women's Super League, the Football Association have made available grants to clubs that can demonstrate a need for funding via a Club Development Plan. The FA offered grants of up to £30,000 for FAWSL2 clubs, with up to £70,000 made available for FAWSL1 clubs, with the idea that this would help develop women's football across the country. However, the FA's current plan for such funding only covers the period of 2014 to 2018, with the implication that they expected such grants to gradually taper off as clubs were able to stand on their own two feet. The availability of the Club Development Fund would be reviewed annually, meaning that any club wanting long term security would need to look into more independent ways of funding.

For Yeovil Town Ladies, as a club that would be brand new to the FAWSL1, that will doubtless be their starting point, with a good case for grants that can cover commercial management, coaching, physios or general facilities to help build up that club to a level that is capable of staying at FAWSL1 level. But they obviously need to build their club up so that if the FA later decide the Club Development Fund, or if they were to lose their FAWSL1 status at any time in the future, that they would stand as a stronger, bigger club that is immediately capable of forging another challenge, much in the same way that Bristol City Women have done.

One thing that I felt the men's side didn't capitalise upon enough was that of seizing the income and commercial opportunities that our 2013-14 rise into the Championship should have brought us. We had our season in the sun, and we soaked up the rays from our deckchairs, but when we found the Championship level could only hold us for that one season, we came back down to League One as an apparently weaker club, when the income from the rise into the Championship should have made us stronger.

For the Ladies not to fall into that trap, they will need to look at things that will help build up their physical and financial infrastructure on a permanent basis. Boss Jamie Sherwood spoke of having 'built a house' over the last two-and-a-half years. Now they've built that up in a way that was strong enough to gain promotion from FAWS2, the next step will be to build an extension on that house that will either sustain their stay in FAWSL1 when it arrives, or will leave them with a legacy as a stronger club that would protect them if they ever visit FAWSL2 again in the future.

I imagine all serious talk of that will be left until after this weekend, as there is one more serious issue that needs to be resolved in the Ladies' FAWSL2 season. Throughout this year, I have watched from afar as Bristol City have tended to play their matches on a Saturday evening, whilst Yeovil Town have picked the more usual Sunday afternoon slot for their FAWSL2 fixtures. And so each Saturday evening, Bristol have played an extra game and gone to the top of FAWSL2, and just under 24 hours later, the game of West Country ping-pong has seen Jamie Sherwood's side respond by taking back the top slot.

On Sunday, our Ladies side will take on Sheffield at Huish Park, with a 2.00p.m. kick-off. For once, Bristol City will also kick-off at the same time, and thus the Glovers will know that they will need to match Bristol's scoreline to take the FAWSL2 title. In reality, a six goal superior goal difference slightly favours the Glovers, but with their rivals travelling to second-from-bottom Oxford United they probably have to assume that Bristol will win, which means they need to target beating Sheffield.

Those involved in the Ladies set-up have spoken throughout the whole season of wanting to break the 1,000 crowd barrier. They've come close to doing it on a few occasions, with an 831 attendance against Millwall being the current club record. However, it would be good if those who do support local football could make a date for Sunday 6th November, 2.00p.m. and help cheer them over the line, as well as giving the Ladies Board a bit of food for thought during the winter months as to the potential of Ladies football within the region.

A phenomenal achievement by the girls. I was surprised that the 1000 barrier wasn't reached for the crucial Everton 6 pointer.
They deserve a rapturous ovation on Sunday, hopefully from a record crowd.
03/11/2016 09:55:33

Steve Allinson said ...

A quick word of thanks to Ciderspace who have always publicised us in recent years and kept news of our acheivements available to YTFC fans. It was really good to see Badger on Sunday and for him to share in our success. Roll on Sunday.The challenges for next season are huge, but I am determined that we shall build that legacy and not just sit in our deckchairs and enjoy one season. Thanks again.
03/11/2016 11:39:58

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